“I don't want to shed too much light on it,” he told SiriusXM. “The thing that I can tell you is that it's not because of the whole draft experience. It's not because of one particular incident. There are a number of things, and that story, you know, that battle will be fought on a different day. As of right now, I don't feel too comfortable talking about all the details of it.”

Smith must wait five days before he can sign with another agent. Sports Business Journal was the first to report his decision.

Because of the rookie wage scale, Smith will net a contract similar to last year's 39th pick, St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who earned a four-year deal worth $4.99 million.

It's a battle that goes all the way back to their college days at the University of Miami — defensive end Olivier Vernon vs. left tackle Jason Fox. Now that matchup is taking place at the NFL level with the Dolphins, and there's much more at stake.

The next goal is to create meaningful moments for the Miami Heat, meaningful playoff moments, after his first season with the team produced only a lottery finish. But for Luol Deng, what transpired Saturday in South Africa made the start of the 2015-16 basketball cycle particularly meaningful.